1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pivot device, located at the junction between a portable computer's display body and main body, for a portable computer and, more specifically, to a pivot device that more effectively supports the weight of a liquid crystal display panel and prevents the distortion or deformation of the display housing that occurs during the opening and closing process.
2. Background Art
Liquid crystal display (LCD) panels are commonly used with portable computers because of their compact design. However, the weight of LCD panels often leads to a weakening of the hinge mechanism that connects the display body to the main body of the portable computer. This problem has become more common as the size and the weight of the LCD display panels used in portable computers increases.
Different techniques for pivotally mounting housings containing LCD display panels to the main body of portable computers are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,102 to Fujino entitled Portable Information Processing Apparatus with Hinge for Enlarged LCD Display, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,048 to Esterberg entitled Hinge Assembly for a Device Having a Display, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,072 to Youn entitled Hinge Securement Device for a Portable Computer, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,982 to Hosoi entitled Hinge Mechanism for Portable Electronic Apparatus. Hinges used in the contemporary art fail to provide a means of better distributing the load of a LCD display panel to prevent the separation of the front of a display panel housing from the LCD display panel. This is caused by the deformations incurred during the opening and closing of the portable computer.
As such, I believe it may be possible to improve on the contemporary art by providing a hinge that reduces the deformation caused by repetitive opening and closing of the portable computer, that avoids the separation of the front of the display panel housing from the liquid crystal display, that prevents the increase in vibrations caused by permanent deformation of the display housing, and that more evenly distributes the weight of a liquid crystal display panel.